Artificial eyes for dolls, display figures, and the like.



S. MARCUS. ARTIFICIAL EYES FOR DOLLS, DISPLAY FIGURES, AND THE LIKE.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. I6, |917.

Patented Jan. 8,1918.

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ySAMUEL MARCUS, F NEW YORK, N. Y.

ARTIFICIAL EYES FOR DOLLS, DISPLAY FIGURES, ANDTHE LIKE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 8, 1918.

Application filed August 16, 1917. Serial No. 186,491.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, SAMUEL MARCUS, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of New York cityin the county of New York and State of New Y0rk,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Artificial Eyes for Dolls, Display-Figures, and the like, of which the following isa specification.

The invention relates to improvements in the manufacture of eyes for dolls and other purposes, such as display figures, and the purpose of the invention is to provide an eye of novel structure and also novel means for securing a pair of eyes within the head of a doll or other figure in such manner that the eyes may roll to closed position when the doll is turned from a vertical to a horizontal position and also to roll to open position when the doll is turned from a hori- 'l zontal to a vertical position.

i hesive applied to said surface over said' The eyes are formed of hollow shells of celluloid or equivalent material and mounted on plates connected to a bridge-piece which connects the eyes in a pair and to which the customary weight foreffecting the `rolling of the eyes is secured. The bridge-piece connecting the eyes has pivotallyy secured to its central portion an upwardly extending plate adapted to be secured to the inner surface of the forehead of a doll by means of shellac or other adplate. My purpose is to sell the eyes in pairs to manufacturers of dolls. The eyes being of Celluloid or like material on their exterior are substantially unbreakable and afford a desirable inish.

The more" important features of the inventionreside in the means provided by me for mounting the eye-shells upon the ends of the bridge-piece, and in respect to these features of the invention I mount the celluloid shells upon substantially hemi-spheri# cal metal shells and provide in the rear open sides ofthe Celluloid shells metal plates which may be secured upon the` ends of the bridge-piece for connecting the pair of eyes thereto. p 'i Y' A In accordance with my invention either openings in the face of a doll regardless `of the irregularities which are to be found in dolls heads. In accordance with my invention also the eyes may be given an `angular motion on 'the bridge-piece so as to further adapt them to the openings provided for the eyes in dolls heads.

The invention will be fully understood from the detailed description hereinafter presented, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure l is a substantiall central vertical section through the head o a doll, the same being partly broken away, equipped with the features of my invention;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged rear elevation of a pair of eyes and coperating parts shown independently of the head of the doll; A

Fig. 3 is a horizontal section through the same, taken 0n the dotted line 3 3 of Fig. 2;

Fig, 4 is a central vertical section,A taken through one of the eyes, on the dotted line 4 4 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is a rear elevation, with the connecting parts broken away, of a pair of eyes showing a modified means for securing the eyes to the bridge-piece;

Fig. 6 is a horizontal section, through one of the eyes of the same, taken on the dotted line 6 6 of Fig. 5;

Fig. 7 is a central vertical section through the same eye taken on the dotted line 7 7 of Fig. 5;

Fig. 8 is a central vertical section through a further modified eye-constructiontaken onthe dotted line 8 8 of Fig. 9;

Fig. -9 is a horizontal section through the same taken on the dotted line 9 9 of Fig. 8;

Fig. 10 is a rear elevation with the con'- necting parts broken away of a further modified construction of eye embodying my invention, and

Fig. 11 is a horizontal section through the same taken on the dotted line 11 11 of Fig'. 10.

In the drawings, 10 designates a portion of the head of a doll, 11 the bridge-piece, 12 the eyes for the doll, 13 a weight suspended by a rod 14 rigidly connected with said bridge-piece, and 15 a plate having eyes at its lower bifurcated `end in which the bridge-piece 11 is loosely mounted.' -The bridge-piece 11, eyes .12, weight 13 and rod 14,i arepivotallysuspended from the plate' 1'5', which extends upwardly from between the eyes 12 and may be readily conformed and secured to the innersurface of the fore-v l head of the doll by means of shellac lor the like, as denoted at 17. Iregard the securing of the eyes and coperating parts by means ofythe vertically and centrally disposed plate 15 as of considerable advantage. I have found that cheek-pieces applied at the outer edges of the eyes to be secured within the side portions of a dolls head, as disclosed in my application 151,938, filed March 2, 1917, while of great advantage when the dolls heads are uniformly constructed, lack the advantage of the centrally disposed plate 15 for suspending the eyes and their parts, since said plate 15 is bendable and may be conformed to the inner surface of the forehead of a doll without difliculty.

The bridge-piece 11 may be a simple straight rod of wire against which 4the suspending rod 14 maybe rigidly secured by solder, as at 18. y

The eyes 12 are composed of exterior celluloid substantially hemi-spherical shells 19 disclosing the pupil and iris, as usual, inner hemi-spherical metal shells .or bearings 20 upon which the shells 19 are closely but freely mounted, and plates 21 to which the ends of the bridge-piece 11 may be secured by screws 22 so as to position the eyes on said bridge-piece in an adjustable manner to the end that the eyes may be arranged to suit the openings in the face of the doll to receive them. The plates 21 may be of varied construction, but in Figs. 2 and 3 I illustrate said plates as being formed fromsheet metal and as having loops 23 pressed forwardly therefrom to receive as seats the ends of the bridge-piece 11, an integral bar being formed intermediate the planes of the loops 23 and receiving the securing and adjusting screws 22, as will be readily understood on reference to Figs. 2, 3 and 4. The Iplates 21 are of cup-shape and afford curved edge flanges 25 fitting the innerl portions of the shells 19 and constituting` -curved eX- tensions of the inner edges of the bearing shells 20, against which edges the innery annular edges of the plates 21 abut. The metal shells 20 are recessed at opposite edges to receive the end portions ofthe bridgepiece 11, `and at their facing or inner sides the Celluloid shells 19 are recessed, as at 26, so as to permit the adjustment of said shells 19 on .the ball-like metal shells I2() for the purpose of properly locating the iris of each eye within the opening therefor in the faceof the doll.- The recesses 26 in the shells 19 freely receive or straddleyend portions' of the bridge-piece 11, and either shell 19 may be turned toward the right or left or up or down on its shell. 20 so as to secure the proper adjustment of the eye. Each eye 12 therefore comprisesv an outer Celluloid shell 19, an inner shell 2() conforming thereto and upon which the shell 19 is.mvounted,

and a metal plate 21 fitting withinthe innerl portions of the shell 19 and abutting against the rear edges of the shell 20, and the plate v21 is of a construction adapting it to be adjustably'secured upon an end portion of the bridge-'piece 11, which may, in this construction, be simply a straight rod of wire.

Fig. 5 represents a modification as to the method by which the eyes 12 may be secured to the bridge-piece 11. In the construction shown in Figs. 5, 6 and 7 I make use vof the same suspending rod 14, celluloid'shells .19 and metal shells 20 that I have described hereinbefore in connection with the illustra-v tion presented in Figs. 1 to 4 inclusive, but in lieu of the plates 21 shown in Figs. 1 to 4 inclusive I make use of, in the construction shown in Figs. 5, 6 and 7, substantially corresponding metal plates 27 fitting within the rear portions of the shells 19 and abuttingagainst the rear edges of the metal shells 20 and having flanges 28 corresponding with the flanges 25 of the construction shown in cation said plates 27 are formed with horizontal outwardly bent groove-portions 29 and vertical slots 30 crossing the same at their central portions. The groove-portions 29 of the plates 27 fit against the rear side of the bridge-piece 11, and as means for securing the endportions of the bridge-piece to the eyes, I provide in the construction shown in Figs. 5, 6 and 7 small plates 31 of wedge-shape which are passed through the slots 30 from the front side of the plates 27 and have openings 32, 33, the opening being to receive the end portion of the bridge-piece 11 and the opening 33 toreceive a wedge 34 .WhichI drive through the opening 33 of each plate 31 for the purpose of binding the plate 31, plate 27 and bridgeplece 11 firmly together. The wedge 34 for each eye not only passes through the slot 33 of the plate 31, but engages the rear hori- -zontal surface of the groove-portion v29 of the plate 27. When the wedge 24 is loosened by being driven laterally, in the lpresent instance outwardly'toward the outer edgeof the eye (Fig. 6),I the plate 31 becomes loosened from the bridge-piece 11 and the eye may be adjusted on said bridge-piece and then re-tightened by driving the wedge 34 toward theinner edge of the eye. Figs. 5, 6 and 7 differ from the construction shown `in Figs. 1 to 4 inclusive merely -in the detail of securing the eyes'upon the bridge-piece 11, one construction employing the screws22 and the other'the Wedges 34;. v l

. In Figs. 8 and 9 I illustrate a. further modification so far as the means-forsec'uring the eyes upon the bridge-piece is concerned, but not otherwise; Inv the construe'- tion shown in Figs-8 and v9. thecelluloid shells 19 and metal vshells 20 remain the same as in the construction shownin Figs. 3-and 4, but in the modification illustrated in Figs. 8 and 9, in lieu of the plates 21, 27 hereinbefore referred to, I make use of thicker plates (numbered 35) which are bored through to receive the ends of the `bridgepiece 11, as will be readily understood on-l reference to Figs. 8 and 9. The plates 35 lit within the rear portions of the shells and perform the duties of the lianges 25, 28 hereinbeforereferred to, the edges of the plates 35 being curved to constitute continuations of the curved outlines of the metal shells 20 and to receive in a suitable manner the rear curved portions of the Celluloid shells 19, the shells 20 and the edges of the plates 35 forming a sectional ball upon Which the shells 19 may be given a slidmg or rocking motion for their adjustment to the openings in the face of the d oll. The plates 3 5 are equipped on their rear sides with suitable openings for the screws 36 by which the eyes may be fastened to the bridge-piece 11, .the screws 36 serving the same purposes as the screws 22 hereinbefore mentioned. v

In Figs. 10 and 11 lI illustrate a furthe modilication of my invention in respect to the means for securing the eyes uponthe bridge-piece and locking the shells 19 in adjusted position upon the inner hemispherical metal shells or bearings 20, and 1n Figs. 10 and 11 the numeral 19 denotes the celluloid shell disclosing the pupil and iris,"

and 20 the hemi-spherical bearing hereinbefore described. lVithin the shell 19 and engaging the circumferential edges of the bearing 20 is a metal plate 37, which plate has a circumferentialflange 38itting within and conforming to the curvature of the shell 19; the'plate 37 also` has a. central boss portion'39 to receive a screw 40 which engages the bridge-piece 11 and serves 'to secure the eye on said bridge-piece. Theboss 39 may be pressed up from the metal of 'the plate 37. Vpon the screw 40 is a supplemental plate 41 which extends transversely of the rear portion of the eye and has a threaded aperture lhrough which the screw 40 passes. The plaie 41 preferably has at one end a finger l2 and at the other end two fingers 43 which straddle the recess in the shell 19 through which the bridge-piece 11 extends. The tingers 42. 43 are, when the shell 19 has been adjusted on the bearing 20, bent against said shell 19 so as to bind the same in its adjustedl position, all this being for the purpose of preventing the shell 19. during the use of the doll, from shifting from its original adjusted position. The plate 37 isonly another mechanical form for the plates 21 shown in Figs. 2 and 3, but in addition to what is shown in Figs. 2 and 3, Figs. 10 and 11 illustrate additional means, as the plate l1. for locking the shell 19 after it has been adjusted to its required position. The boss :39 is apertured transversely to rec-erre the end of the bridge-piece 11, and hence said bridge-piece is held between said boss and the adjacent surfaces of the plate 37.

In all of the constructions shown I provide eyes which may be adjusted along the bridge-piece and in which the eyes are formed of shells 19 of substantiallyhemispherical or partly globular outline and are adjustable in all directions upon interior metal shells 20 which support the shells 19 and prevent said shells 19 from being in- 'dented or disfigured from blows which, in the absence of -the metal shells 20, might pierce the shells 19 or drive them inwardly. In allv ofthe constructions shown the eyes contain Within their rear portions metal plates adapted to be adjustably secured upon the ends of the bridge-piece 11 and which plates are held within the rear curved portions of thel shells 19, said plates affording bearing surfaces for said shells and said shells by their curvature binding the said plates in position against the rear edges of i the metal shells 20.

What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. An eye for dolls and the like, comprising a substantially hemi-spherical shell constituting the exterior of the eye, an inner bearing member of corresponding outline upon which said outer shell is mounted, a p ate within the rear portion of the outer shell and in close relation to the inner edges of said inner member, and means for fastening the eye to a bridge-piece of a pair of eyes, said shell being slidably adjustable on said bearing member.

'2. An eye for dolls and the like, comprising a substantially heini-spherical shell constituting the exterior of the eye, and an inner bearing member of corresponding outline upon which said outer shell is closely but slidably mounted for adjusting the same.

3. An eye for dolls and the like comprising a substantially heini-spherical shell constituting the exterior of the eye, an inner bearing member of corresponding outline upon which said outer shell is closely but slidably mounted for adjusting the same,

llO

and a plate at and connected with the rear as a means for connecting the eye to a bridge-piece for a pair of eyes.

5. An eye for dolls and the like comprising a substantially hemi-spherical shellconstituting the exterior of the eye, an inner bearing member of corresponding outline upon which said outer shell is closely but slidably mounted for adjusting the same, and a plate within the rear portion of the outer shell and having a curved edge flange constituting a continuation of said inner bearing member and also a seat for a bridge-piece for a pair of eyes and means for securing the bridge-piece on said seat.

6. An eye ing a substantially hemi-spherical shell constituting theexterior of the eye, an inner bearing member of corresponding outline upon whichI said outer shell is closely but slidably mountedand a plate at and connected with the rear portion of the eye having curved seats bent therefrom and a bar between said seats adapted to receive a screw, said seats being adapted to receive the end portion of a bridge-piece for a pair of eyes.

7.l In combination, a pair of eyes for a doll and the like, a bridge-piece connectingsaid e es, aweight suspended from the midvdle o said bridge-piece, and an upwardly extending plate in 'which said bridge-piece is freely mounted and which is adapted to be secured to the inner surface of the forehead of a doll, for suspending said eyes,

. bridge-piece and weight.

8. In combination, a pair of eyes for a doll and the like, a bridge-piece connecting said eyes and having rounded end portions, and plates at and connected with the rear portion of the eyes and having bearings -to be slid upon said end portions of the bridgepiece and conforming thereto, and whereby said angular adjustment on said end portions of the bridge-piece.

`9. In combination, al pair of eyes for a for dolls and the like compriseyes are permitted to have independent doll and the like, said eyes 'having outer shells, a bridge-piece connecting said, eyes, means 'suspending said bridge-piece, and plates at and connected with the rear'portion of the eyes and having curved `edge flanges adapted to permit angular adjustment ofthe outer lshell of the eyes and also means for connecting the eyes with the end portions of said bridge-piece. i

10. In combination, a pair of eyes fora doll and the like, and a bridge-piece connecting said eyes, said eyes each comprisingal substantially hemi-spherical celluloid shell constituting the exterior of the eye, an inner substantially hemi'- spherical metal plate closely fitting within said shell,and a plate within the rear portion of said shell and engaging the edges of said'hemi-spherical plate and providing -means for connecting the eye with the end ortion of the bridge-piece.

11.In combination, a pair of eyes for a doll and the like, and a bridge-piece connecting said'eyes, said eyes each comprising a substantially hemi-s'pherical'celluloid shell constituting the exterior of the eye, an

linner substantially lheini-spherical metal plate closely fitting within said shell, and a plate within and engaging cal plate and ing the eye with the end portion of the bridge piece, said plate at the rear portion of the eye having curved edges engaged by the edges of said hemi-spheriv the rear portion of said shells.

Signed at New York city, in the county 10th day of August, A. D. 1917.

SAMUEL MARCUS.

Witnesses;

CHAs. C. GILL,

ARTHUR MARION.`

the rear portion of said shellproviding means for connect- 'of New York and State of New York, this 80 

